I headed upstairs, not needing to focus on finding his office.
If Creighton was within the same vicinity, I always knew where he was. I could feel him. And like those times, I let my body follow the internal beacon inside of me.
It led me straight to him.
Chapter Ten
Blake
It wasn’t fair.
That was the first thought that crossed my mind as soon as I opened the door. There were no guards outside. None in the hallway, but I knew. I just knew he’d be behind this door. I hated and loved this beacon I had for him. Like the man himself, who still looked like a pretty boy.
He was still hot. I’d had a brief stint away from him, and seeing him again, having that time away, he washed over me. I hadn’t been ready for this, how my body wanted to go to him, but Icouldn’t. I just couldn’t.
His face was sharper, if that was possible, but it was sharper in a more chiseled cheekbone sort of way.
Fuck. He could be in one of those elite magazines. His jawline was more pronounced somehow. His black hair was short on the sides with a little extra on top for him to run a hand through. And those gray eyes of his. They were usually bland, looking dead, but not today. Today they were pinned on me, and I could see the intense satisfaction in them.
It wasn’t fairthat he could look like that, like a preppy college student, like a fraternity brother, like an Instagram model, andyethave the mind that was rivaling two other Mafia heads in this city. He wasa fucking chameleon, and he shouldn’t have been graced with those blessings. Not him. Of everyone, not him.
I stepped inside, a bolt of electricity going through me because being this close to Creighton always made me feel everything. Good or bad. Everything was intensified to the umpteenth. That was part of him too. Creighton was a magnifier for those around him. He brought out whatever was hidden underneath. If someone was trying to shove something below the surface, it would always rise to the top. I’d watched so many people not understand why they were having the feelings they were having. I didn’t understand it, but I’d seen it enough to know it happened.
And Creighton would watch it all and be amused by it.
It pissed me off.
Lassiter made a choking sound from the side. I swung my gaze over, taking him in too. Ithadbeen him downstairs. His head swung between Creighton and me, but I didn’t have time for him. My eyes returned to Creighton as Lassiter half-laughed, “Hey, Blak—”
“Out,” I growled.
Creighton moved to lean on the edge of his desk. He raised his eyebrows as Lassiter left the room without protest. I followed to lock the door behind him. As soon as it was just him and me, the tension ramped up. The anger was there, swimming in me in waves. It doubled. There were other emotions underneath, ones I wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
I didn’t take a step toward him. It felt safer to stay across the room, and I adopted a similar stance to his, except I leaned back against the wall beside the door. “What are you doing here, Creight?”
His eyes dimmed a little. He cocked his head to the side. “Prefer the other name you have for me.”
Fuck. I felt that disappointment in me.
I bristled.
I gritted my teeth, ignoring the warring emotions in me. “Yeah, well, I don’t give a fuck right now.” I wanted to push off from the wall,stalk toward him, but I held myself in place. As far away from him as possible right now. “We made a deal—”
“Yes, we did.” He shoved off his desk.
I held my breath, but he only took one step toward me before stopping.
I ached. I wanted him to come all the way, and I bent my head because why did I want that? I had a stupid crush on him growing up, but it was just that. A schoolgirl crush, one that I never should’ve had. Creighton was six years older. He didn’t look at me like that.
He never had. Obsessed, yes. Just not inthatway.
I didn’t think. Right?
God. I was so confused.
My heart pounded in a frenzied staccato, and I lifted my gaze again.
He was watching me intently, his own head bent a little as if to see me better. His hands were shoved in his pockets. He spoke softly, “The deal was to stay away from you. If I did, you wouldn’t run again, but I’m allowed to have someone watch you. It’s the only way I know you’re safe.”
